Sensor coil and method of manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

An electronic component in accordance with the invention includes a body, such as a base, having a high magnetic permeability material applied to an external surface thereof and a wire winding wound about at least a portion of the high magnetic permeability material. In a preferred form, the body is made of a non-conducting material, such as ceramic or plastic, and the high magnetic permeability material is made of a magnetic material such as ferrite or a metallic glass alloy (i.e., an amorphous metal). The component further includes a spacer for separating the wire winding from the high magnetic permeability material in order to prevent the amorphous metal from damaging the wire winding. The resulting electronic component is capable of sensing magnetic fields and may be used in a variety of circuits such as compasses and magnetometers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to electronic components and moreparticularly concerns low profile surface mountable sensing coils havinga structure that improves the manufacturability and performance of thecomponent.

The electronics industry provides a variety of wire wound componentssuch as inductors which come in a variety of package types andconfigurations. For example, inductors may be provided in toroid,solenoidal, drum or sling-type packaging and in through-hole or surfacemount configurations.

Of these coil components, some are used as sensors for detectingmagnetic fields and rely on the use of highly permeable materials todetect the presence of such fields. For example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,851,775, issued Jul. 25, 1989 to Kim et al., a digital compass andmagnetometer are disclosed which use a solenoidal sensor coil having awire-wound bobbin with an amorphous metal having a high magneticpermeability inserted therein for detecting magnetic fields.Improvements on these compass and magnetometer designs, as well as newapplications for such sensor coils, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,239,264, issued Aug. 24, 1993 to Hawks; U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,046,issued Jun. 24, 1997 to Hawks; U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,956, issued Apr. 28,1998 to Hawks; U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,406, issued Jul. 4, 2000 to James etal.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,660, issued June 5, 2001. All of theabove-mentioned patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Although many advances have been made in the application of such sensorcoils, most (if not all) of the available components continue to use acoil component configuration wherein the highly permeable amorphousmetal layer is inserted into a plastic bobbin. The reason for this isthat amorphous metals are extremely sharp and must therefore beprevented from rubbing against the wire windings. For example, if thewire winding is placed directly on the amorphous metal, the amorphousmetal will eventually cut through the outer insulation of the wire andcause the component to short. In extreme cases, the amorphous metal mayeven cut the wire of the component causing the component to open (oroperate as an open circuit).

To avoid such problems, the amorphous metal has traditionally beeninserted into a plastic bobbin to isolate the amorphous metal from thewire winding. For example, in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,406, atraditional sensor coil is disclosed in which plastic bobbin 13 isolatesan elongated core of high dc permeability material 17 from electricallyconductive wire 15. In another traditional coil sensor structure, a slotis provided in the bobbin for receiving the amorphous metal; however, inthis configuration the amorphous metal is able to slide out of the slotand make contact with the wire winding hindering the use andmarketability of this design.

Another example of a traditional coil sensor is illustrated in FIGS.5A-F herein, and is identified generally by reference numeral 10. Thecoil sensor 10 includes a bobbin 12 having first and second bobbinportions 12 a and 12 b, respectively, which can be interconnected (e.g.,snapped together) via a pair of post members 14 a and post receivingrecesses 14 b. An amorphous metal 16 is sandwiched between the first andsecond bobbin portions 12 a-b in order to isolate the amorphous metal 16from the wire winding 18 which is wound about the interconnected bobbin12.

One problem associated with the use of the above-mentioned sensor coilstructures is the large gap that is created between the amorphous metaland the wire winding. More particularly, the gap created between theamorphous metal and the wire winding requires the winding to have manymore turns in order to achieve the desired sensitivity for detectingmagnetic fields. In other words, the larger the gap, the more turns thewire winding must have. Thus, the gap present in existing structureshinders the ability to make smaller and more efficient sensor coils withfewer number of turns.

Another problem associated with existing sensor coil structures is thatit is difficult (if not impossible) to automate the assembly of suchstructures. More particularly, the necessity of inserting the amorphousmetal into a bobbin to isolate it from the wire winding requires handassembly of at least a portion of the component. This increases theamount of time and cost it takes to produce sensor coils and reduces theaccuracy with which such components can be mass produced.

Accordingly, it has been determined that the need exists for an improvedwire wound component and method for manufacturing the same whichovercome the aforementioned limitations and which further providecapabilities, features and functions, not available in current devicesand methods for manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side elevational view of a coil component embodyingfeatures of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is an end view of the component of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a plan view of the component of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 1A takenalong lines D-D in FIG. 1C;

FIG. 1E is an blown-up view of the portion of the component identifiedas E in FIG. 1D;

FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of an alternate coil componentembodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is an end view of the component of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a plan view of the component of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 2A takenalong lines D-D in FIG. 2C;

FIG. 2E is an blown-up view of the portion of the component identifiedas E in FIG. 2D;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate coil componentembodying features of the present invention illustrating a similarcomponent to that of FIGS. 2A-E and taken along a similar line to thatof D-D in FIG. 2C;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a magnetic sensor using a sensingcoil embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of a portion of a traditional sensorcoil showing the lower portion of a plastic bobbin with an amorphousmetal exploded therefrom;

FIG. 5B is a plan view of the component of FIG. 5A, showing theamorphous metal positioned between the posts of the lower portion of theplastic bobbin;

FIG. 5C is a side elevational view of the component of FIG. 5A showingthe upper portion of the plastic bobbin exploded therefrom;

FIG. 5D is a side elevational view of the component of FIG. 5C showingthe upper and lower portions of the bobbin interconnected with oneanother;

FIG. 5E is a plan view of the component of FIG. 5D showing theinterconnected bobbin portions; and

FIG. 5F is a perspective view of the component of FIG. 5D showing wirewound around the interconnected bobbin portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An electronic component in accordance with the invention includes abody, such as a base, having a high magnetic permeability materialapplied to an external surface thereof and a wire winding wound about atleast a portion of the high magnetic permeability material. In apreferred form, the body is made of a non-conducting material, such asceramic or plastic, and the high magnetic permeability material is madeof a magnetic material such as ferrite or a metallic glass alloy (i.e.,an amorphous metal). The component further includes a spacer forseparating the wire winding from the high magnetic permeability materialin order to prevent the amorphous metal from damaging the wire winding.The resulting electronic component is capable of sensing magnetic fieldsand may be used in a variety of circuits such as compasses andmagnetometers.

Turning first to FIGS. 1A-E, there is illustrated a wire wound inductivecomponent 20 embodying features of the present invention. In theembodiment illustrated, the inductive component 20 is configured in asurface mount package for mounting on a PCB, which is, for convenience,described herein as it would be positioned on the upper surface of aPCB. For purposes of clarity, portions of the illustrations in FIGS.1A-C are transparent in order to show the various parts of the component20. However, in actuality these parts of the component 20 will likely besubstantially or totally opaque.

The inductive component 20 includes a body, such as base 22, made of aninsulating material, such as a non-conductive plastic or ceramic. Thebody 22 has a polygonal shape, such as a rectangle, and has first andsecond ends 22 a and 22 b, respectively, with an elongated portion 22 cextending therebetween. The ends 22 a-b and elongated portion 22 c haveupper surfaces which collectively form a smooth planer top surface.

In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of supports, such as legs 22 d and22 e, extend downward from opposite ends of the body 22 and havemetalized pads (e.g., soldering pads) located at the bottom thereof. Themetalized pads 26 are made of a conductive material and are fused orbonded to the base 22 so that the component 20 may be electrically andmechanically attached to corresponding lands or traces located on thePCB via solder. More particularly, the metalized pads 26 provide anelectrically conductive surface to which the solder paste printed on thePCB can bond once the component 20 and PCB are passed through a reflowoven. As is depicted in FIG. 1, each soldering pad 26 is generally flatand covers at least a portion of the bottom surface of the associatedleg 22 d or 22 e.

In alternate embodiments, the pads 26 may cover at least a portion ofthe bottom and side surfaces of the legs 22 d-e (e.g., L-shaped solderpads) in order to increases the surface area of the metalized pads 26,thereby strengthening the coupling between the metalized pads 26 andbase 22, and between the metalized pads 26 and corresponding lands onthe PCB. In other embodiments, U-shaped pads may be used which mayextend across the lower surface and sides of legs 22 d-e. Such padsprovide even more surface area and connection strength between the base22, pads 26, and corresponding PCB lands. In yet other embodiments, thecomponent 20 may be designed without legs extending from the ends 22 a-bof the base 22. Thus, with this configuration the bottom surfaces ofends 22 a-b and elongated portion 22 c may collectively form a generallyplanar bottom surface with the pads 26 being connected directly to thebottom surface of ends 22 a-b.

The inductive component 20 further includes a core 28, which ispreferably made of a magnetic material having a high magneticpermeability, such as a metallic glass alloy or amorphous metal. Inalternate embodiments, however, it should be understood that othermagnetic materials, such as ferrite, may be used as the core 28. In theillustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1A-E, the core 28 has a thin andgenerally rectangular structure such as a foil and has a tape backing tostrengthen, stiffen or provide shape to the foil core 28 so that it canbe worked with and installed more easily.

In order to avoid some of the problems associated with traditionalsensor coils, the core 28 is applied to the generally flat upper surfaceof the base 22 formed by ends 22 a-b and elongate member 22 c and ispreferably held in place via an adhesive such as glue, laminate or tape.This allows the component 20 to be manufactured more easily and with anautomated process because the core 28 does not have to be inserted intothe base 22 or any other external structure. Rather the core 28 isapplied to an exterior surface of the base 22 which can be done moreeasily and via automated processes.

The inductive component 10 also includes a wire winding 30 which iswound about at least a portion of the core 28 and a portion of the base22. In order to avoid other problems associated with traditional sensorcoils, the core 28 is isolated from the wire winding 30 via a spacer 24.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-E, the spacer 24 includes acoating which encapsulates at least a portion of the core 28 andprevents this portion from coming into contact with the wire winding 30.Although the adhesive located on the upper surface of the core 28 couldserve as the spacer 24, in a preferred embodiment, an insulatingmaterial such as a high temperature and flexible urethane is appliedover the core 28 to isolate the core 28 from the wire winding 30.

More particularly, in some applications, the adhesive layer located onthe upper surface of the core 28 shrinks due to its exposure to hightemperatures. The shrinking of this adhesive layer can expose the wirewinding 30 to the sharp edges of the core 28 and can therefore riskdamaging the winding 30. Thus, by using a high temperature urethanecoating 24, the possible shrinking of the adhesive layer located on theupper surface of the core 28 can be accounted for and can ensure thatthe spacer 24 continues to properly isolate the core 28 from the winding30. High temperature urethanes are preferred because of their ability towithstand the extreme temperatures the component is exposed to, such asbonding and reflow oven temperatures, during product testing (e.g.,product validation testing), and during operation of the componentduring its regular use (e.g., automotive temperature ranges). Adhesivesare often incapable of withstanding such temperatures withoutexperiencing some form of thermal stress (e.g., thermal expansion orcontraction). Although, the adhesive layer located on top of the core 28makes the core material easier to work with and apply, it should beunderstood that the presence of the adhesive is not essential and thecomponent 20 can be constructed without this layer if need be.

In a preferred embodiment, the urethane coating 24 is applied uniformlyover the upper surface of the core 28 and is of minimal height in orderto minimize the amount of distance or gap between the core 28 and thewire winding 30. By providing a thin film of coating 24 and reducing thegap between core 28 and wire winding 30, the component 20 requires fewerturns of wire 30 in order to reach the same level of sensitivity asconventional sensor coils. Thus, the component 20 is capable of beingproduced in a smaller, more low profile package. It should be understoodhowever that additional windings may be added to achieve a desiredcomponent performance and/or component size.

In a preferred embodiment, the wire 30 is an insulated wire such as aforty-four gauge copper wire having ends 30 a and 30 b connected to thebottom of the metalized pads 26. The insulation prevents the turns ofthe wire winding 30 from shorting out and ensures current will passthrough the wire and around the core 28 in order to achieve the desiredinductive effect. In the embodiment illustrated, the insulation of wire30 includes a nonconductive nylon coating. It should be understood,however, that any conductive material may be used for the wire 30 andthat the wire size may be selected from a variety of wire gauges. Forexample, a preferred component may use wire ranging from thirty-fourgauge wire to forty-eight gauge wire, while alternate components may usedifferent wire gauge ranges. It should also be understood that anyinsulating or non-conducting material may be used for the wire coating,not just nylon.

The ends of the wire 30 a-b are preferably flattened (not shown) andbonded to the metalized pads 26 in order to minimize the amount of spacebetween the lower surface of the metalized pads 26 and the upper surfaceof the corresponding PCB lands. This helps maintain the low profile ofthe component 20 and also helps ensure that the component will remainco-planar when positioned on the PCB so that the pads 26 and wire ends30 a-b will make sufficient contact with the solder on the PCB and makesolid electrical and mechanical connections to the circuit on the PCB.

In alternate embodiments, the wire ends 30 a-b may be connected to theouter side surfaces of L-shaped metalized pads, or inner or outer sidesurfaces of U-shaped metalized pads, in order to avoid disrupting theflat bottom surface of pads 26 and in order to avoid increasing theheight of the component 20 and/or creating a gap between any portion ofthe pads 26 and the corresponding PCB lands. In yet other embodiments,notches or dimples may be present in the lower surfaces of the legs 22d-e and/or pads 26 in order to provide a designated location for thewire ends 20 a-b to be bonded to the pads 26 without raising the heightof the component 20 or creating an excessive gap between the pads 26 andcorresponding PCB lands.

Once the wire 30 is wound about the elongated portion 22 c and core 28,a cover 32 is applied over at least a portion of the upper most surfaceof the wire 30. In a preferred embodiment, the cover 32 may comprise anovermolding, a film or a cap, and is provided to form a generally flatupper surface with which the component 20 may be picked and placed usingtraditional pick-and-place equipment, (e.g., vacuum or suctionpick-and-place machines). In a preferred embodiment, the cover 32 ismade of a non-conductive material and may also provide a surface uponwhich the component manufacturer may print indicia such as productnumbers, trademarks, and other desirable information. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1A-E, the cover 32 is also a high temperatureurethane coating which forms an overmolding over a portion of the wire30 and the spacer coating 24. It should be understood that in alternateembodiments, the cover 32 may be a film similar to that which will bediscussed with respect to FIGS. 2A-E or a plastic cap inserted onto thecomponent.

In a preferred embodiment, the pieces of the inductive component 20, areassembled by attaching metalized pads to the base 22, applying the corematerial 28 to an external surface of the base 22, attaching a spacer 24to an external upper surface of the core 28, wrapping wire 30 about atleast a portion of the base 22 and core 28, and attaching a cover 32over a portion of the component 20 to form a generally flat uppersurface thereon.

In the embodiment illustrated, the metalized pads 26 are attached to thebase 22 via a thick film metalization process and the core material 28is applied to the external surface of the base 22 via an adhesive. Thecore 28 extends over at least a majority of the upper surface of thebase 22 and is preferably applied in a thin uniform layer. The spacercoating 24 is molded onto the base 22 and core 28 and extends along theupper surface thereof and over a portion of the external side surfacesof the ends 22 a-b of base 22. Then wire 30 is wound about a portion ofthe core 28 and the base 22 and the wire ends 30 a-b are bonded tometalized pads 26. More particularly, wire 30 is wound about theelongated portion 22 c of base 22 and the core material positionedthereon, and the ends 30 a-b are bonded to the pads 26 located on thebottom surfaces of legs 22 d-e, respectively. Lastly, the cover 32 isapplied to the component via a molding process. The overmolded cover 32(or overmolding) extends along the upper surfaces of the wire 30 and thespacer coating 24, and over the portion of the spacer coating 24 whichextends over the external side surfaces of ends 22 a-b. With thisconfiguration, the component 20 overcomes the aforesaid problemsassociated with traditional sensor coils and provides an electroniccomponent which can be efficiently manufactured and mass produced.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A-E, there is illustrated an alternate embodimentof the component 20 embodying features in accordance with the presentinvention. In this embodiment, a differently shaped base is used inconnection with the component 20. For convenience, features of alternateembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2A-E that correspond to featuresalready discussed with respect to the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-E areidentified using the same reference numeral in combination with anapostrophe or prime notation (′) merely to distinguish one embodimentform the other, but otherwise such features are similar.

The alternate embodiment of component 20, (hereinafter component 20′),includes a body such a base 22′ which is made of an insulating material,such as a non-conductive plastic or ceramic. Like base 22 above, base22′ has a polygonal shape, such as a rectangle, and has first and secondends 22 a′ and 22 b′, respectively, with an elongated portion 22 c′extending therebetween. However, base 22′ has a general I-shapeconfiguration with the ends 22 a′-b′ forming opposed flanged ends of thebase 22′. Whereas base 22 discussed above has a general C-shapeconfiguration which may be of a higher profile.

In a preferred embodiment, the ends 22 a′-b′ of body 22′ define recesses22 f′ and 22 g′ to which metalized pads 26′ are connected forelectrically and mechanically attaching the component 22′ tocorresponding lands on a PCB. More particularly, body 22′ definesgenerally rectangular recesses 22 f′-g′ which extend into and wrap aboutthe upper, side and bottom external surfaces of the base 22′.Preferably, the metalized pads 26′ are in the form of clips which, inthe embodiment illustrated, are capable of frictionally engaging atleast a portion of the recesses 22 f′-g′ so as to secure the metalizedpads 26′ thereto. The portion of clip recesses 22 f′ and 22 g′ which isdefined on the lower surfaces of the base 22′ is tapered or angled inorder to allow the clip 26′ to secure itself onto the base 22′. In otherwords, ends 22 a′-b′ of base 22′ form tenons which are inserted intomortises defined by the metalized pads 26′. The lower surfaces of thetenons are angled to form a flanged surface to prevent the clip 26′ fromunintentionally being removed.

It should be understood, however, that the metalized pads 26′ may besecured to the base 22′ in a variety of other ways, such as by gluing,using a ball and detent system, or providing a tooth or teeth members tosecure the pad 26′ to the base 22′. Moreover, in alternate embodiments,the base 22′ may not have recesses 22 f′-g′ and the metalized pads 26′may be clipped on to the external surfaces of the ends 22 a′-b′ or maybe attached to the base in a manner similar to that discussed above withrespect to component 20, (e.g., using flat, L-shaped or U-shapedsoldering pads).

In FIGS. 2A-E, the ends 22 a′-b′ further define recesses 22h′ and 22i′which are generally rectangular in shape and have inner surfaces whichare generally flush with the upper surface of the elongated portion 22c′ of base 22′. Thus, the upper surface of elongated portion 22 c′ andrecesses 22 h′-i′ collectively form a generally planar exterior surfaceof the base 22′.

The component 20′ further includes a core 28′ which is preferably madeof a magnetic material having a high magnetic permeability such as anamorphous metal. As discussed above with respect to component 22,however, it should be understood that other magnetic materials such asferrite may also be used for core 28′. In the illustrated embodiment inFIGS. 2A-E, the core 28′ is preferably rectangular in shape andconfigured so that it may be applied to the generally planar exteriorsurface defined by elongated portion 22 c′ and recesses 22 h′-j′. Thisallows the component to be manufactured more easily and with anautomated process.

A spacer 24′ is attached to the core 28′ in order to isolate the core28′ from wire 30′ which is wound about at least a portion of the base22′ and core 28′. In a preferred embodiment, the spacer 24′ comprises ahigh temperature, flexible urethane coating which may be attached to thebase 22′ and core 28′ in a manner similar to that discussed above withrespect to component 22. Unlike component 22, however, the spacercoating 24 illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-E does not extendover the entire external upper surfaces of the core 28′ and base 22′ anddoes not wrap around the sides of the base ends 22 a′-b′. Rather, inthis embodiment, the coating 24′ is only attached to the portion of thecore 28′ which is directly below the windings of wire 30′. Thisconfiguration reduces the amount of materials needed and the amount oftime it takes to apply such materials. In other embodiments, the coating24′ may be attached to the entire upper surface of core 28′ if desired.

The coating 24′ is preferably applied in a uniform and thin manner, suchas a foil, in order to minimize the gap created between the core 28′ andwire 30′. Thus, the component 22′ is also capable of being produced in asmaller, low profile package and is capable of reaching bettersensitivity levels with less windings as compared to traditional sensorcoils.

After the spacer 24′ is attached to the component 22′, wire 30′ is woundabout the elongated portion 22 c′ and core 28′ and its ends 30 a′-b′ areconnected to the metalized pads 26′. As discussed above, the wire ends30 a′-b′ may be connected to any of the surfaces of the metalized pads26′ and are preferably flattened and bonded to the lower surface thereofto ensure optimal connection between the wire 30′ and PCB circuit viasolder. As mentioned above, the wire 30′ may be selected from a varietyof different gauge wires having appropriate insulation to prevent thecomponent 22′ from shorting out.

Once the wire 30′ is wound about the elongated portion 22 c′ and core28′, a cover 32′ is applied over at least a portion of the upper mostsurface of the wire 30′. Unlike the component 20, the cover 32′ used inthe illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 2A-E is a film rather than acoating. More particularly, in a preferred embodiment film 32′ is afibrous material having an adhesive layer and may be positioned over thetop of base 22′, core 28′ and/or winding 30′. Once attached to thecomponent 20′, the film 32′ provides a generally flat or planar topsurface with which the component may be picked up out of a tape-and-reelpackaging and placed on a PCB using industry standard pick-and-placeequipment.

In one form, film 32′ may have an adhesive layer on the bottom and aprintable layer on the top. Thus, in addition to providing the component20′ with a generally flat upper surface, the film 32′ provides thecomponent manufacturer with a surface for printing indicia such asproduct numbers, trademarks, and other desirable information. In apreferred embodiment, film 32′ may be a polyimide film, apolyetheretherketone (PEEK) film, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film orthe like. This component configuration allows the component 20′ to bemanufacture more efficiently and in a manner that avoids the aforesaidproblems associated with conventional sensor coils.

It should be understood, however, that in alternate forms the film 32′may be cut to different shapes and sizes. For example, in an alternateembodiment the film 32′ may extend over the entire upper surfaces of thewire 30′, the base ends 22 a′-b′, and the metalized pads 26′.Alternatively, in other embodiments, the film 32′ may cover only aportion of the upper surface of the wire 30′. Furthermore, as mentionedabove, the cover 32′ may alternatively be a cap or a coating instead ofa film.

In FIG. 3, there is illustrated yet another embodiment of the component20′ embodying features in accordance with the present invention. In thisembodiment, the spacer 24′ comprises a wall or pair of walls extendingupward from the upper surface of the base 22′ (hereinafter spacer wall22 j′) instead of a coating as discussed above. More particularly, inthe embodiment shown, the spacer includes spacer walls 22 j′ extendingup from opposite sides of the elongated portion 22 c′ of base 22′. Thewalls 22 j′ extend along the outer edge or partial perimeter of theupper surface of the elongated portion 22 c′ and support and prevent thewindings of wire 30′ from coming into contact with the core 28′. Itshould be understood, however, that in alternate embodiments a singlewall or a plurality of walls or posts may be provided in place of thespacer walls illustrated.

As discussed above with respect to component 20′, the core 28′ isapplied to the generally flat or planar surface located between thewalls 22 j′ and defined by the upper surface of the elongated portion 22c′ and the recesses 22 h′-i′. Thus, walls 22 j′ form a spanningstructure which isolates the core 28′ from the wire 30′ by creating anair gap therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, the height of spacerwalls 22 j′ is set at the minimal amount needed in order to prevent thecore 28′ and wire 30′ from contacting one another. This minimizes theair gap between the core 28′ and wire 30′ and allows the component tooperate more efficiently with fewer windings. Thus, this configurationalso allows the component 20′ to overcome the problems set forth abovewith respect to traditional sensor coils. Another advantage to thisconfiguration is that it uses existing materials for the spacer 24′rather than requiring additional materials to be applied to thecomponent 20′. By eliminating the need for this material, the component20′ may be manufactured faster and at less cost.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2A-E and 3, the metalized pads26′ are attached to the base 22′ via a thick film metalization processand the core material 28′ is applied to the external surface of the base22′ via an adhesive. The core extends over at least a majority of theupper surface of the base 22′ and is preferably applied in a thinuniform layer. If the spacer 24′ is a coating as illustrated in FIGS.2A-E, the spacer coating may be molded onto the base 28′ and extendsalong the upper external surface of the core 28′. If the spacer 24′ is awall, such as spacer wall 22 j′ in FIG. 3, no additional steps arelikely to be needed in order to apply the spacer 24′ to the component20′ as it will likely be an integral part of the base 22′. Then wire 30is wound about at least a portion of the core 28′ and the base 22′, andthe wire ends 30 a′-b′ are bonded to metalized pads 26′. Moreparticularly, wire 30′ is wound about the elongated portion 22 c′ ofbase 22′ and the core material positioned thereon, and the ends 30 a′-b′are bonded to the portion of the pads 26′ located below the base 22′.Lastly, cover 32′ is applied to the component. In a preferredembodiment, the film 32′ is a film having an adhesive layer with whichthe film may be attached to the component 20′. With this configuration,the component 20′ overcomes the aforesaid problems associated withtraditional sensor coils and provides an electronic component which canbe efficiently manufactured and mass produced.

In a preferred embodiment, the components 20 and 20′ are low profilesurface mount components with heights ranging between 2 mm and 0.5 mm orsmaller. For example, the components 20 and 20′ illustrated above mayhave lengths of approximately 6.0 mm to 14.0 mm, widths of approximately3.0 mm to 6.0 mm, and heights of approximately 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. Itshould be understood, however, that these dimensions are only exemplaryand may vary individually or as a whole depending on the application forwhich the component is being designed.

The electronic component disclosed herein may be used in a variety ofapplications including those requiring the detection or sensing ofmagnetic fields. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the electronic components 20and 20′ may be used in conjunction with a controller, such as amicrocontroller or other processor such as a microprocessor, gate arrayor the like, in order to detect magnetic fields and, which in turn maydisplay data on a display corresponding to the detected fields. Forexample, the component 20 and 20′ may be used in any of the compasses,magnetometers, or other devices disclosed in the patents mentioned abovein the Background of the Invention.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a wire wound componentis provided that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages setforth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction withspecific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intendedto embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fallwithin the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

1. An electronic component for sensing magnetic fields comprising: abody having first and second ends with an elongated portion extendingtherebetween; an amorphous metal connected to an external surface of theelongated portion of the body; a wire winding wrapped about at least aportion of the amorphous metal; and a spacer for separating the wirefrom the amorphous metal in order to prevent the amorphous metal fromdamaging the wire.
 2. An electronic component according to claim 1wherein the spacer comprises a coating extending over an externalsurface of the amorphous metal for isolating the amorphous metal fromthe wire.
 3. An electronic component according to claim 2 wherein thecoating is a high temperature and flexible urethane.
 4. An electroniccomponent according to claim 2 wherein the coating is connected to theexternal surface of the amorphous metal via an adhesive.
 5. Anelectronic component according to claim 2 further comprising anovernolding covering at least a portion of the wire winding andproviding a generally flat surface to assist in positioning of thecomponent on a printed circuit board (PCB).
 6. An electronic componentaccording to claim 5 wherein the overmolding comprises at least one of ahigh temperature urethane and an adhesive film.
 7. An electroniccomponent according to claim 1 wherein the body comprises at least oneof a ceramic and a plastic.
 8. An electronic component according toclaim 2 wherein the ends of the body extend downward from the elongatedportion and have metalized pads connected to a portion thereof forelectrically and mechanically attaching the component to a PCB.
 9. Anelectronic component according to claim 7 wherein the elongated portionand ends of the body form an external upper surface and the coatingextends over at least a portion of the external upper surface and downexternal side portions of the ends.
 10. An electronic componentaccording to claim 2 wherein the ends of the body define generallyrectangular recesses wherein the elongated portion and the recesses forma generally planar surface upon which the amorphous metal is positioned.11. An electronic component according to claim 10 wherein the ends ofthe body further define a second set of recesses to which metalized padsare connected for electrically and mechanically attaching the componentto a PCB.
 12. An electronic component according to claim 11 whereinmetalized pads are in the form of clips capable of frictionally engagingat least a portion of the second set of recesses defined by the ends ofthe body.
 13. An electronic component according to claim 1 wherein thespacer comprises a pair of wall members extending from the elongatedportion of the body for supporting at least a portion of the wirewinding and creating an air gap between the amorphous metal and the wirewinding.
 14. An electronic component according to claim 13 wherein theends of the body define generally rectangular recesses wherein theelongated portion located between the pair of wall members and therecesses form a generally planar surface upon which the amorphous metalis positioned.
 15. An electronic component according to claim 14 whereinthe ends of the body further define a second set of recesses to whichmetalized pads are connected for electrically and mechanically attachingthe component to a PCB.
 16. An electronic component according to claim15 wherein metalized pads are in the form of clips capable offrictionally engaging at least a portion of the second set of recessesdefined by the ends of the body.
 17. A method of manufacturing anelectronic component comprising the steps of: providing a base, anamorphous metal, and a wire; applying the amorphous metal to an externalsurface of the base; wrapping the wire about at least a portion of theamorphous metal; and isolating the amorphous metal from the wire inorder to prevent the amorphous metal from damaging the wire.
 18. Amagnetic sensor comprising: sensing circuitry for detecting magneticfields and providing sensor data associated therewith, the sensingcircuitry having a sensing coil comprising a body having first andsecond ends with an elongated portion extending therebetween; anamorphous metal connected to an external surface of the elongatedportion of the body; a wire winding wrapped about at least a portion ofthe amorphous metal; and a spacer for separating the wire from theamorphous metal in order to prevent the amorphous metal from damagingthe wire; a controller connected to the sensing circuitry and capable ofoperating the sensing circuitry and processing the sensor data receivedtherefrom and being further capable of outputting controller datacorresponding to the processed data; and a display connected to thecontroller for providing visual data corresponding to the controllerdata received therefrom.